![]() Robie’s first stop at the Nice seaside is a restaurant where the workers are not happy to see him. ![]() We also see an appearance from Hitchcock sitting on the bus next to Robie. Robie, quietly hops aboard a bus taking him to the coast, and the scene of the crimes. They chase after him to find that it’s the housekeeper driving the car, and Robie is still at his home.įrom this scene we that Robie is incredibly capable and cunning, but most importantly capable of staying one step ahead of the police which he he will need in order to prove his innocence. Expecting that he’s killed himself, they break down the door as his car speeds off. He locks himself in his room and blasts a shotgun. He willingly comes down to meet the officers in his living room, and is able to escape the house by asking to put on formal clothes before being taken in. He sees the police furiously approaching and heads for his upstairs bedroom to watch them arrive, and split up in order to surround the house. We first see Robie tending to roses in his garden, wearing brown gloves (a subtle association to the burglar's black gloves). It’s important to note that thematically the newspaper clippings provoke the media's ability to sway public opinion, whether it is the truth or not. We also discover that Robie is a hero of the French Resistance Army. As a housekeeper cleans the home we see a black cat lounging on a sofa and the music changes as we see a newspaper clipping speculating to whether John Robie, “The Cat” a former cat burglar is up to his old tricks with these new robberies. The sounds of birds chirping and a bell tolling all relax us into a different mood, which reveals to us where the character is currently at emotionally. Hitchcock slows the pace down as we are taken to a chateau far away from the beachfront where all the robberies have taken place. And with a shot of a slew of police officers gathered around the commissioner's desk, we understand that the chase is on. The images of three separate robberies, a black cat in the night, gloved hands and screams for the police all reveal that these crimes are connected and we are going on a journey to figure out "who done it." We are now right in the middle of the circumstances of the story. Amongst this beautiful scenery there is something foul happening. Hitchcock then pushes into one of the beautiful posters taking us to Nice with a cut to a screaming woman. The travel service window let’s us know that we are going to be swept away to a beautiful place (Nice, France from the posters) that is not the everyday life we are accustomed to (this can be understood from reflection of cars, busses and people passing by in the travel service window, it represents normal day to day life continuing on while we experience a not so normal place). Hitchcock uses this opening sequence to create the atmosphere and tone for what’s to come. These shots take us to the Commissaire de Police. The next series of shots are of a black cat traveling back and forth across a roof in the green darkness of the night, intercut with shots of two more robberies we see happening, but only gloved hands are seen. She exits the balcony screaming for help and the police. The shot pushes into one of the posters that reads, “If You Love Life You’ll Love France” just before a quick cut to a woman screaming as she discovers her jewels have been stolen. Also in the window is a model of the Eiffel Tower standing just behind a model of a cruise liner, and we see cars and busses driving by on the street in the reflection of the window, along with pedestrians walking the sidewalks. Hitchcock’s opening shot is of a display window at a travel service featuring posters advertising the beautiful beaches of Nice, France. ![]() Written by people who wish to remain anonymous We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.
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